Re: [at-l] Blue Moon

[WHHAWKINS@aol.com]

March madness ends on lunatic fringe 
By NEIL JOHNSON of The Tampa Tribune 
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If a full moon makes you howl or sprout fur and fangs, this is the month 
for you. 

Tonight brings the second full moon of March, an event rare enough to 
have its own name: a blue moon. 

This is the year for lunar lovers, since it's the second blue moon of 
1999. The first was Jan. 31. You won't find another year with two blue 
moons until 2018 and again in 2037. 

Sky watchers may be amused but astronomers don't get overly excited. 

``It's an accident of the calendar,'' said Alex Smith, a University of 
Florida astronomy professor. 

There are 29.5 days between full moons, making a lunar month. But our 
calendar doesn't pay much attention to lunar cycles and months average 
about 30.5 days. 

About every 2 1/2 years, this imbalance catches up and you get a blue 
moon. About every 19 years it happens twice. 

Despite the name, it won't change color, though occasionally volcanic 
ash or forest fires gave the moon a blue tint. 

So why call it blue? 

The phrase is relatively modern in its current reference to the second 
full moon of a month. It traces back to a 1946 article in ``Sky and 
Telescope'' magazine the publication now says was wrong. 

The author of the article referred to an old almanac that talked about 
blue moons. 

Only the almanac didn't call the second full moon in a month a blue 
moon. It said a blue moon was the fourth full moon of a season based on 
an antiquated method of defining the seasons. The writer missed that 
tidbit. 

Now, though, the term blue moon means a rare event, such as when there 
are a two full moons in a month. 

Though it may be incorrect, the phrase is firmly established. 


In a message dated 3/31/99 3:29:43 PM EDT, ADu103041@aol.com writes:

<< There were 2 full moons in January. None in February. 2 in March. The last
 time that occurred was 1961 and it will not happen again until 2018.
 reference - Mother Earth News. >>

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